Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, J. owns characters and world.
And another one, starringmy favourite pair.
"I want to know what passion is. I want to feel something strongly."
― Aldous Huxley
, Brave New World
This tree was perfect, climbing up wasn't that difficult, sitting up here allowed her to fully enjoy the scenery. Quiet, except for birds and other small animals rustling in the shrubbery below. Glancing across the fields, a clear blue sky. It couldn't get much better. Escaping the hustle and bustle from her family, gods there were many. Do not mistake it for not loving them because she did, but sometimes things were overcrowding her. Admiring the scenery and the climb up here made her peckish, she opened her satchel, the one her mother made her, it was more like a beaded bag, but enlarged when opened, she took her flask and drank some cool water. So much better, she took a few berries she picked earlier and munched, sweet hint of sour. She liked these. She could close her eyes for a minute, surely there was no harm in it, they wouldn't miss her back at the burrow.
She gasped, startled awake, her bum hurt. Her eyes adjusted to the sun peeking through the leaves, it was around noon so her Muggle watch told her, she liked it very much gran Arthur gifted it to her. She looked across the field covered in wheat crop, which rustled as the wind tickled their ores. The girl squinted, holding her hand above her eyes, shielding them to get a better look. Something white moved through it, it looked like a hairy mop. As it drew closer she could see it sat atop a boyish face, he looked like he was the same age as her. He looked like he was lost, a grimace on his face. Clearly not a happy bunny. She decided she lighten his day. She almost giggled, taking a berry from her bag, letting it drop on the boys head. She was good it hit him square on his head.
The boy startled, his hand went up to feel around, the berry dropped behind his shirt.
The girl tried not to laugh he looked funny being perplexed.
The boy shrugged, figuring it came from a birds beak.
The girl dropped another one, square on his head. This time she couldn't suppress her giggle. This was too funny.
The boy glanced upwards his face set like thunder, "Oi, you stop that, you could smudge my robes."
"But your face though, you crack me up." The girl nearly toppled out, holding her belly as she laughed.
"Do you always throw berries at unknown boys?" He glance up, a girl around his age, sat up in a tree looking like this wood nymph. Chestnut wavy long hair, white skinned, her face covered in freckles and the darkest brown eyes he ever saw. Rosy pink lips, scrawny. He never saw anything as delicate as her. She didn't seem familiar, maybe she was a Muggle, he'd thread carefully. "I'm coming up that tree, so please refrain from throwing fruit."
The girl was very amused by this boy, he had a funny angry look, but he seemed to have lightened up as he climbed up the tree. The boy had silver white hair it almost resembled her cousin Dominique's hair but his had a more silvery quality to it, he had a fine chiseled face a slightly pointy nose and long pale fingers, they looked bony. He checked the branch next to her it seemed sturdy enough for him to sit on. She got a good look up front. Light grey eyes, shining with mischief, he was trouble, but so was she.
"So come here a lot?" He smirked.
"No I found it today." She shrugged. He had a nice clear voice, it wasn't broken yet so he must be around her age. "Do you live nearby, you looked like you were lost in that field."
"I was lost, I couldn't see where I was going until I saw the woodlands." He adjusted his robes. She didn't seem like she'd think his robes were strange. Wearing a short sleeved oxford and short trousers, black polished shoes and dark green socks, accompanied by dark green light woollen robes. She wore this thin floral dress a Muggle contraption around her wrist and Muggle sneakers. His Governess taught him some basic Muggle studies. "I don't live near but am holidaying in our castle behind that woodland there." He pointed across the field.
Rose followed his directive, she squinted and could see the top of what appeared to be a tower, she hadn't seen it before he showed her. It looked like it shimmered, she guessed it was heavily warded. "Oh I see, a dark green and silver banner."
"That's right, so you can see it? You're a witch then?" His smile grew broader, recognition did that to him, he was glad she was a witch.
"Yes and you're a wizard with a castle?" She smiled and laughed.
"Most of my friends own one." He scoffed he felt her resentment, not approving of his dwelling.
"You don't live in a castle?"
"No I live in a manor with mum and dad, my grandparents live in the castle and we're visiting."
"Oh, you live in a manor, that's all right then." She mocked him, he was so easy to taunt.
"Yes we live in a manor and you?"
"I live in an apartment in Paris." That sounded as stupid as owning a castle.
"Ooooh I live in an apartment in Paris." He parroted her, earning a poke with her elbow.
They both laughed. It felt easy sitting here, getting to know a new person.
"Do have siblings?" He asked.
"Yes one younger brother: Hugo, but I have like a ton of cousins, which is why I'm here it's to crowded at my grand parents." She mused staring into nothing really. Her elbow brushed his, she felt strange, comfortable with the blond aristocratic boy.
"I'm an only child I have two cousins who I rarely see, but I have two friends who are coming next week. I wish I had a sibling it get's lonely at the castle." He sounded solemn to her.
Clouds were gathering on the horizon the air turned humid.
"I think I'm heading back to the burrow." The girl said, she didn't want to het caught in the impending down pour.
"You don't have a wand to keep yourself dry?" The boy asked, he found it odd she had to find shelter against he elements.
"No I'm starting at BeauxBatons after the Summer." She answered as she went down the tree trunk.
"I got mine when I turned six, didn't you?" He rushed after her, he didn't want her to leave just yet. She was an enigma, he liked puzzles.
"No in France you get one when you attend school at eleven. Were do you go to?"
"I'm off to Hogwarts, first year as well." They stood below the tree, clouds grew larger and darker, wind swept over the ores. "By the way I'm Scorpius." He offered his hand.
She took his hand."My name is Rose, will you come tomorrow same time?"
She ran through the woodland in the opposite direction of the castle.
"Yes tomorrow!" He shouted before she disappeared between the dense shrubbery and trees. He felt happy meeting a new person, Beaux Batons well, well, she must be one off those fleeing after the war, he wouldn't mention her to his parents. They steered well clear of the bright pink elephant in the room.
-0-
Rose reached the burrow in time before a torrential down pour hit the ground. She ran as fast as she could, opening the door leading into the burrow. Noise greeted her, her cousins were playing exploding snap, wizards chess, the younger ones ran around chasing the kneazel. She found her cousin Albus, dropped herself next to him on the rickety couch.
"Where were you off to?" He asked before his snap exploded.
"I went for a walk." She dreamily answered, a certain blond on her retina. Scorpius, she loved that name it sounded mysterious, dangerous.
Rose resumed her role among her cousins, she was the fiery one, she always had an opinion about anything, Albus a sporty quidditch loving boy. They spent their Summer at the Burrow, they and their parents and other uncles and aunts living in France. Their parents let them come and stay with their grand parents two weeks during Summer hols. Since war ended some fifteen years ago they left the UK, Rose didn't know all details, but her parents told her they resided at Hogwarts as a war broke out in the magical community, this Lord Voldemort tried to eradicate all Muggle born witches and witches, calling in pureblooded wizard families to assist him. The purebloods were called Death Eaters.
Fortunately not all pureblood families conspired, the Weasley's joined the Order of the Phoenix. Albus father, uncle Harry supposedly being a major target as he and her parents found a way to vanquish him, but regrettably they failed. An extensive fight took place at Hogwarts, their old school. Some of their relatives were killed, her uncle Fred for instance, George's twin brother. The war came at a stand still, no one triumphed, the Lord went underground again, Death Eaters took control off all governmental business, the Wizengamot overflowing with Pure Blooded exercising their rightful places.
The Weasley's Potters and a few other relocated to France, tired of fighting, trying to make a new life and succeeding, coming here every year in a heavily warded Burrow. Rose didn't know anything about the war. Up till now, she suspected Scorpius was one of them, he must've known she was one of theirs. Merlin she wanted to see him again, he was funny a breath off fresh air.
Scorpius let the thunder roll over him, he put a water repelling charm over himself as he walked back to the castle. —Rose….pretty, funny Rose. Her face covered in freckles, how such fair skin having such deep brown eyes was a mystery to him, defying the law of nature. She supposedly was one of them, she lived in France had never seen her before. He almost knew all UK wizarding residents, his father the Grand Wizard of the Wizengamot, he walked through the Wards, he felt them wash over him.
-0-
"Scorpius, where did you come from?" His mother hugged him as soon as he set foot inside the castle. She sensed him as soon as he penetrated the wards he knew their wands would buzz, allerting them to friends or foe. The latter kept out.
"Mum, I'm not a child anymore." He gently squeezed from her grip.
"No I' not saying that you are, we were worried. Nana Cissy and I were afraid you got stuck somewhere."
"Astoria, leave the boy, look he's even spelled a water repellant charm." Grandad Lucius came over from his study.
"I've been out, throwing rocks in a stream over the fields, I must admit I got lost in the ores when I crossed the field, but came back by the road." He wouldn't mention climbing up a tree spending time with Rose. They wouldn't understand it if he fraternised with the enemy. As he was told her side was. Conspiring against the trueLord of Wizarding England, harbouring Mudbloods. Luckily they eradicated that pest from Hogwarts, Muggles didn't get accepted like they used to be, as soon as they became eleven their magic taken from them and safely guarded in phials at the Ministry.
Diner was as dull as ever, his parents and grandparents engaging in political and business talks, Scorpius pushed his diner around his plate, his mind kept wandering of to this girl, she was nothing short of an enigma, yes she was a witch didn't own a wand how did she get by?
"Scorpius?" He looked up from his musings.
"Scorpius would you please refrain from toying with your food?" His mother told him off.
"Yes, mother." He answered before sticking a piece of venison in his mouth, it was almost raw, he usually adored it like this, today it tasted like blood. When diner was done he asked his mother if he could be excused to go to the library, he didn't catch his grandfathers arched brow.
He looked for a book about magical schools, he wanted to know more about Rose's school. He heard about the exotic French school, he wanted to picture her there. He scanned the antique wooden cabinets, he knew which row should contain such work, he came here fairly frequently. He might end up in Ravenclaw his father joked, Scorpius thought he could be, but wanted to end up in Slytherin as did his fore fathers.
-0-
"Grandfather Arthur what do you know about the Death Eaters?" Rose asked her grandfather "Are they all as bad?"
Arthur looked at his feisty granddaughter with his brows furrowed. He pondered her question. "I should think that they are."
Rose tried to think about a question that wouldn't reveal who she met, she was quite sly like that. "I mean are they born bad? Or is it environmental?" She tilted her head, trying to look as innocent as she wasn't.
"Uhm, well I guess they're not born bad technically." He was inside his shed Rose brought him a automated hand whisk from France. He turned the handle and the wheel made the whisks whirl. "Nifty little device, massage?"
"No grandad to whisk eggs." She tried not to laugh at her elder.
"Mmmm." Arthur studied the contraption.
Rose heard enough, she knew she wouldn't get any more from him, he was too chuffed with his new toy.
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